Oleen Fay Boyett

Joe Wayne Boyett, 83, of Mesquite, TX passed away suddenly on May 27, 2021.  He was born June 2, 1937 in Jackson, MS to Emmett and Beatrice Thompson Boyett.  For years, Joe celebrated his birthday on June 4^th, until an old family bible was discovered noting that his date of birth was actually June 2,^, 1937.  He was one of 16 children.  All of his siblings have preceded him in death.  He loved Mississippi, but at age 14 he went to pick oranges in Florida.  He returned to Mississippi at 15 where his older brother, Thomas, said he was moving to Texas.  Joe asked if he could catch a ride and he never looked back.  Joe held experience in different jobs until he started working at A&P grocery in the meat market at age 19.  At the time, he didn’t know that he had found his lifelong profession. 

Oleen Fay Herring Boyett, 81, of Mesquite, TX, passed away on May 30, 2021 after a very brief illness.  She was born in Grand Saline, TX on August 12, 1939 to Ollen M. (Jack) Herring and Juanita F. Tabor Herring.  Oleen had 1 younger brother, Jackie L. Herring.  At the age of 7, their family moved to Dallas, TX (Pleasant Grove) where she attended Dallas ISD Schools.  She was in the first graduating class of W.W. Samuell High School in 1957.  She went on to Secretarial School and upon completion worked at Crum & Forester – Floyd West Insurance Company. 

Joe and Oleen were introduced by a co-worker in February 1958.  They married on May 10, 1958 and began a great love story that would last 63 years.  In 1959, they bought a house and moved to Pleasant Grove where they lived for the next 50 years before moving to Mesquite in 2004.  They had 2 daughters, Jolene (a combination of Joe and Oleen’s name) was born in 1960 & then Rhonda was born in 1962 to complete their family.  For the next several years, Oleen was a stay at home mother and homemaker.  Joe continued to work at A&P as a meat market manager and also held a series of part-time jobs including carpentry and mowing yards so that Oleen could stay home and care for their family.  In 1971, Oleen began working as the pastor’s secretary at Pleasant Wood Baptist Church in Dallas, TX and held that position until around 1996.  Joe worked as a meat market manager at a number of grocery stores – A&P, Safeway, Minyards – until 1993 when he retired to be an active partner in Associated Contractors, a construction company he owned with his son-in-law, William Anderson Jr.  Joe and William worked together until their business ceased operations in the mid-2000’s.  Joe & Oleen were always very involved in church at Pleasant Wood Baptist Church, Fireside Drive Baptist Church and most recently they switched their membership to Sunnyvale First Baptist Church.  Joe made a profession of faith and was baptized in 1958 before he and Oleen married.  He served for a number of years as a Sunday School teacher for the junior boys and was also a Deacon for many years.  Oleen made a profession of faith and was baptized at the age of 13.  In addition to being pastor’s secretary, Oleen was probably best known for her love of music.  She played the piano since early childhood and also sang in the choir and played the organ.  In the 1970’s, she sang in the ladies quartet for 3 years.  She passed her love of music to her daughters as well.  In 1986 while at Pleasant Wood Baptist Church, the church honored Oleen by declaring it “Oleen Boyett Day”.  That day they had dinner, singing and time for people to share how she impacted their lives. 

Joe & Oleen were the true patriarch and matriarch of their families and inner circles.  One of their favorite things to say was “Well, the good Lord has never failed us or let us down”.  They always had an open door, a listening ear, kind and wise words to say and a hot meal to offer.  They were truly the hands and feet of Christ – a walking example of Jesus’ love and action, never afraid to tell others about their Lord and Savior.  On the last day of Joe’s life, he was talking with his daughter Rhonda on the phone and said “Well sugar, we’re just having a few hard times.  But one thing I know is that the good Lord has never let us down and he’s not going to now.  I love you and your mother loves you and we’ll get thru all this together.  One day soon, we’ll all be with the good Lord and never have to be separated again.” 

They are preceded in death by their parents: Emmett and Beatrice Boyett, Ollen and Juanita Herring; daughter, Jolene Honeycutt; grandsons, Heath Honeycutt and Brian Moore; son-in-law, William Anderson Jr.  They are survived by:  Rhonda Anderson of Mesquite, TX; J. Anderson (Sunny) of Corsicana, TX; Stephanie Deroy (Philip) of Mesquite, TX; Valerie Williams of Mesquite, TX; Melissa Honeycutt of Mesquite, TX. Great-grandchildren: Christian Anderson of Corsicana, TX; Harlie, Samantha, Jace and Mason Deroy of Mesquite, TX; Lukas, Cooper and Camrie Williams of Mesquite, TX; Son-In-Law, Kenneth Honeycutt of Mesquite, TX; Brother and Sister-In-Law, Jack and Carol Herring of Terrell, TX; plus a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and brothers and sisters in Christ.